Suspected gill fungus, a second opinion please?

Hey guys i was hoping to never have to post in this section but i am a little worried.
Alan has developed something on one of his gills, it's weird, i wouldn't describe it as cotton like, as i understand that's what fungus looks like, but there is definitely something there.

I first spotted it a couple of weeks ago, just as a pale blob and i have been keeping an eye on it, it has grown very very slowly since then.

He seems fine, has a good appetite and behaves completely normal. just some background information: I have had him for nearly two months, in the reptile shop he was fed on frozen bloodworms and i have been feeding him on frozen bloodworms and earthworms, he loves to eat!

I set his tank up a few weeks before i got him, and had some guppy in the tank to start the cycle, which were then moved to our tropical tank (ended up getting eaten anyway!). I believe the cycle started over again when Alan went in the tank. the ammonia has always been at a barely detectable level. I think the cycle is coming to an end Ammonia is still 0. Nitrite is about 0.1 - 0.2 and nitrate is between 5 and 10.
The temperature has been a little on the high side, well the highest i have seen it was 23.5 degrees Celsius when england had its little heat wave a couple of weeks ago! it averages at about 21-22 if i just leave it alone, but recently i have been using the ice bottle method to keep the temps down, but i don't like to do it because i know the fluctuations can be just as stressful as high temps. i can keep it at around 16-18 during the day but by morning its back up to about 21. there is no lid on the tank and no light, and i don't want to have to buy a fan or a chiller for what will undoubtably be a short summer!

So thats about all i an tell you about the situation, and here are some pictures to show what i mean. i have used a close up lens to try to get a clear image but it's pretty tricky so this is the best i can do!

I am new to keeping axolotls but i read up for a couple of months before getting started with it. so i know that treatments can include tea or salt baths or fridging, but i'd really rather not have to do it to him. I could do with an expert diagnosis!

Thanks in advance for your input.

it looks like fungus to me

I would wait for someone more experienced to jump in and give his or her opinion..

Hi,

I'm certainly not an expert.

It does look similar to the case discussed in this thread (gill infection, perhaps caused by the introduction of fish to the cycling/cycled tank). The infection may also have come about due to the high water temperatures (23.5C) as warmer water increases the toxidity of toxins such as Ammonia and Nitrite (particuarly dangerous in a tank which is still in the process of cycling).

Tea baths are a gentle method of treating minor skin complaints. I would try this before using the more severe (but highly effective) salt bath treatments. Salt baths although being an excellent remedy for fungus, can be quite stressful to the axolotl.

Tea bath procedure:

Tea bath for axolotls
Contributed by Daniel Weiner, August 2007.

I mainly use teabaths for minor skin problems. It may also be used with fungal problems but on that account I prefer salt baths. Tea has a slightly antifungal and antibacterial effect (resulting from tannins) and additionally it closes the pores in the skin a little bit (mainly resulting from tannin and caffeine). The skin tightens and gets some kind of protective layer, making it harder for fungi and bacteria to intrude the body. On the other hand it makes it harder for salt or medicine to reach pathogens which are already inside the body - that is the reason I do not use it on fungal infections, although a tea bath is sometimes recommended as a cure for fungal infections by some people.

The medication is as follows: I take one bag of black tea without any additional aroma (it is important to use black tea because this kind of tea is fermented and so it has tannins) for every 10 litres of water (preferably used in a quarantine tank). This tea gets dashed with boiling water in a seperate bowl - I leave it there for at least 10 to 15 minutes so the tannins are resolved into the water. The tea has to cool down and is finally added to the quarantine water. After a week I make a bigger change of water (60% at least), the rest of the tea is removed over time by normal water changes. If you have to make more regular water changes (f.i. in a small bowl or tank) the tea concentration can be refilled. As far as I know there are no negative effects even for long term treatment.

A similar effect (although not as strong) may have the addition of dried oak or beech leafs now and then as a precaution.
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See how he goes.

If the tea baths prove ineffective, or the infection looks to be getting worse. You may need to consider using saltbaths. Saltbaths are most effective when used in conjunction with fridging. The colder water temperatures help relax and heal the axolotl, as well as providing an environment where the axolotl will thrive, and the fungus will not - this gives the axolotl the advantage.

A guide to fridging can be found here: http://www.caudata.org/axolotl-sanctuary/Fridging.shtml

Salt baths: http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/salt.shtml

Please keep us posted.

I agree with Julia. It´s hard to say if it is fungus. That could be only a bad blood flow in the gill filaments, too.
But when you detected it some weeks ago, it must have been grown if it were fungus, I think.

I suggest a tea bath or a light salt bath (1 teaspoon in 10 liter water) for 2-3 days. To keep him in the fridge can be helpful.

callina said:

That could be only a bad blood flow in the gill filaments, too.
But when you detected it some weeks ago, it must have been grown if it were fungus, I think.

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Can you elaborate on a blood flow possibility? i have not come across this issue, can it become a problem?

Thank you i will look into a tea bath procedure, can it be just normal tea bags?

yes, one normal teabag (without any additives!) in 10 litre water.

a bad blood flow or missing blood flow occurs from heat, bad water conditions, or often by an accident. It could happen that the filaments will die and fell off, but they regenerate. So it isn´t a big problem.

Ok, thank you, and i put 10 litres of tea water into the tank?

no, you put your axie into the 10 l tea water, or take 5 liter from the 10 and put the axie in.

Sorry to drag up an old thread, but I have pretty much the same circumstances and wanted to know if the tea bath helped.
I'm thinking of giving mine a tea bath, I have a got a little tank I can put my axi in whilst he is under going treatment, just need to know whether I still need a pump in there or will this interfere with the procedure?

Sam

I believe the appropriate treatment for fungus is salt baths in conjunction with fringing, I think tea baths are more for open flesh wounds.